November 26, 2018

Calgary Stampeders win 2018 Grey Cup in 3rd straight try

The Calgary Stampeders had made it to the last 3 Grey Cups and put together a complete game in winning the 106th Grey Cup 27-16 over the Ottawa RedBlacks. The Stampeders played in their 5th Grey Cup since 2012 and also won the Grey Cup in 2014.

Bo Levi Mitchell became the 5th quarterback to win the MOP and Grey Cup MVP in the same season. Coach Dave Dickenson has now won the Grey Cup as a quarterback, offensive coordinator, and head coach. The Stampeders went 41-11-2 in the last 3 years.

Terry Williams set a new Grey Cup record with a 97-yard punt return TD late in the first half.

Ottawa had 6 turnovers with a Diontae Spencer fumble on a punt return early in the 4th quarter perhaps being the most crucial.

The weather conditions produced turf issues that didn't bring out the best in either team's offence.

Calgary receiver Lemar Durant was named the game's Most Valuable Canadian with 4 catches for 30 yards and a 22-yard run.

The Ottawa RedBlacks have been in existence for 5 years and are 1-2 in Grey Cups. This is a far cry from the futility of the 4-year run for the Renegades as well as the last 20 years of the Rough Riders before the team folded in 1996.

Bakari Grant gets a Grey Cup ring. For weeks, we had wondered why Grant hadn't been signed. He was a stellar receiver for Saskatchewan last year yet when released by the Roughriders, Grant couldn't even get a cup of coffee. Several CFL teams lost multiple receivers but the Stampeders were smart enough to get quality receivers such as Grant.

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The 106th Grey Cup drew a crowd of 55,819 to Commonwealth Stadium. The last Grey Cup attendance to surpass that amount was 2010 in Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton with 63,317. The last 3 years in Winnipeg, Toronto, and Ottawa drew 36,634; 33,421; and 36,154.

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The Calgary Stampeders became the fourth team in the modern CFL era to lose 2 straight Grey Cups but win the next Grey Cup. Since 1958, no CFL team has lost 3 Grey Cups in a row. Hamilton (1963), Edmonton (1975), and Hamilton (1986) had the same fate as Calgary (2018).

The potential 10th CFL team will be called the Atlantic Schooners. The name was determined by fans who purchased season ticket deposits. The announcement was made at the Atlantic Schooners Kitchen Party. The Schooners name was the franchise that received a conditional franchise in 1984 but couldn't put together what was needed for a franchise. The hope for the Maritime Football Limited Partnership is to have the Atlantic Schooners on the field by 2021.

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The CFL en Espanol became a reality with the Grey Cup being the first CFL game broadcast in Spanish. Mexican sportscaster Aaron Soriano provided the play-by-play and current Toronto Argonauts defensive lineman Frank Beltre provided colour analysis. CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie signed a letter of intent Friday with the Liga de Futbol Americano, an 8-team Mexican semi-pro American spring football circuit.

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The ESPN2 coverage was flawless. The channel jumped in at 6:02 pm Eastern without a glitch.

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We had seen fewer appearances from Jock Climie on the panel in the last couple of seasons. In his regular life, Climie is a lawyer with a firm (Emond Harden) specializing in labour and employment law. Climie's expertise has been missed even with the growth of Henry Burris and Davis Sanchez. Now Climie will retire from the panel after 18 years of expertise. Climie was a receiver for 12 years with Toronto, Ottawa, and Montréal.

Hopefully, Climie will be able to help out on TSN during the playoffs but that remains unknown.

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The 107th Grey Cup will be at McMahon Stadium in Calgary on November 24, 2019. There are 2 teams looking for a coach and a few quarterbacks may move around in the off-season.